GERMANY TO HOST 2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

UEFA announced on Thursday, September 27 in Nyon, Switzerland that Germany will host the 2024 European Championship.

Germany was chosen over Turkey, the only other bidder for the tournament, in a vote by members of the UEFA executive committee.

Of the twenty members, seventeen voted as German FA (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel and Turkish counterpart Servet Yardimci not allowed to vote and Sweden’s Lars-Christer Olsson missing the vote due to health problems.

Speaking from the podium following the decision, Grindel said:

“We will do all we can to meet all expectations … Many thanks for the trust, we will do all we can to justify it”.

Philipp Lahm, former Germany captain who led the country’s campaign as the DFB’s ambassador, has been named head of the organising committee.

Speaking on the tournament, he said:

“We have great stadiums. We have supporters, who love football. We have people in Germany who would love to celebrate a big party with all of Europe”.

Germany last staged a major tournament in 2006, when it hosted the World Cup, with the former West Germany having staged the 1988 European Championship.

The tournament will revert to its conventional format of being held in a single host country in 2024, with the 2020 edition set to be played in 12 countries across Europe.

In 2024, 24 teams will play in 10 German cities, with matches taking place in Berlin, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart.

Commenting, Germany Coach, Joachim Low told reporters that:

“We saw in 2006 in Germany how people came together and it was a big party. We will do the best to feel the same in six years.

“It will be a great motivation for our young players because they can see that in six years’ time there will be a tournament at home”.

The decision was a bitter disappointment for Turkey, who have yet to stage a major football tournament and also failed with bids to host the event in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

According to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin:

“The procedure was transparent, the vote was democratic. Every democratic decision is the right decision.

“I know that Germany will be fantastic hosts and that we will see a wonderful tournament both on and off the pitch”.